Buy a used smartphone.

Smartphone have become one of the most important things and most of the people have at least one. And some of the smartphone sells in the market are quite expensive. If you in a tight budget, buying a second hand phone might be a good idea. Here are some tips that you can follow before you buy your phone.

1. Check the price. 

This is important. If you want to buy a used phone, check the price with the new set price and compare it. The official website of the phone itself can be a good reference for you to check the price for the new set. eBay and Amazon can also be a good reference for the price for both new set or used set phone.

If the price is slightly higher than your expected price, try to negotiate the price with the seller with reasonable price. And if the price is too cheap, please be careful because this might be a scam. 

2. Condition

Make sure the condition of the used set is in a good condition. It is better for you to meet the seller face to face and inspect the used set for yourself before you buy the phone. If the location of the seller is far, ask them to send the actual photo of the phone to you. 

If the condition of used set is average, try to negotiate with them to get a better deal.

Please make sure the phone is not the clone set. It is easier if the phone is iPhone which you can check the apps store whether it is really Apple's apps store or google play store (which is the clone one).

3. Include with...

If in the ads the seller did not stated what is include with the used set phone, ask them first before you make the purchase. Most of the seller will include a charger, a headphone/headset, USB cable and the box (with all the document in it).

If the seller offer you with others accessories such as casing, extra battery, extra cable, etc. and the price is not that expensive compared to the other(s), this might be the better choice. 

4. Shipping or face-to-face?

My advice is to meet the seller and check the phone by yourself rather than ask them to ship the phone to you. There are possibilities that you will not get your phone unless there are many testimonial or recommendation from others that buy from the seller. 

The other advantage if you meet the seller is you can check the condition of the phone for yourself. You should check the condition of the phone whether it have any dent or not, the phone can run smoothly and also all the button work perfectly (perhaps you can try swiping the touch screen, testing the camera, etc.). 

5. Warranty

If you want to buy used set phone, try to ask them for their personal warranty. Usually sellers will give you one week warranty.  In the mean time you can test your phone and if there any problem regarding the phone performance, you can ask them for a refund.

If possible (and this might be crazy), you can make an agreement with the seller on the paper and ask the seller to sign and write their full names and their IC number.

All the tips above is based on my experienced. If you like to share any of your experience, don't be shy to comment on the comment box below. I hope this can help you to buy used set phone.